- State:
- WASHINGTON-DC
- Site Type:
- Civic Facilities, Auxiliary Civic Facilities
- New Deal Agencies:
- Alley Dwelling Authority (DC only), Housing Programs
- Started:
- 1935
- Completed:
- 1936
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Marked:
- No
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
The Alley Dwelling Authority (ADA) funded the construction of the Douglas Court Garages in Washington, DC between 1935 and 1936. This project consisted of sixteen 1-car garages (as well as a workshop) located on what is now Frederick Douglas Court NE.
It appears that at least nine of the sixteen garages still exist.
The ADA was one of the earliest New Deal initiatives to provide better housing for low-income Americans. It replaced unsafe alley dwellings in Washington, DC with more modern and affordable houses and apartments. The ADA existed from 1934-1943 as a federally controlled special authority. It then slowly evolved into today’s DC Housing Authority, an independent agency of the DC Government.
During the earliest years of its alley clearance activities, the ADA also created five facilities for automobile repair or parking. The Douglas Court Garages was one of these.
Source notes
Report of the National Capital Housing Authority, For the Ten-Year Period 1934-1944, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1945, available on Hathitrust (accessed July 14, 2020).
Report of the Alley Dwelling Authority for the District of Columbia, For the Fiscal Year July 1, 1936 – June 30, 1937, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1937, available on Hathitrust (accessed August 15, 2020).
Site originally submitted by Brent McKee on August 15, 2020.
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